Tuesday, December 2, 2008

A Chocolate Christmas cookie substitute, black bean truffles

I know it sounds crazy but we need a substitute for chocolate around here.I saw this super cool looking book ,The toddler cafe while window shopping at one of our favorite 'round the corner toy haunts.Well I came home and could not stop thinking about this sweet black bean treat,Toddler Truffles she called them. she said they were like Chinese red bean paste(I love anything with sweet red bean paste filling)So I started trying to find them online and turns out she has a Blog by the same nameThe toddler Cafe....duh of course she has a blog. It is a beauty of a blog but I found the recipe on another blog(gourmet mom on the go) where I lifted these photos of the trufflesThese look like a fun summer treat but in the book she had a photo of the little truffles dusted with powder sugar That to me seemed like a perfect Christmas cookie for my little non-chocolate eatin' burger. Here is the recipe from The toddler cafe ...hopefully there will be photos of mysuccess to follow.

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup packed brown sugar1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)1/2 stick (2 ounces) butter, softened1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 c. cocoa powderPinch of kosher salt2 eggssprinkles or powdered sugar, for dustingDirections:Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spray or butter an 8 by 8-inch pan; set aside.In a large, deep bowl, combine the beans, sugars, nuts, butter, baking powder, and salt. Using a stick blender or food processor, start to work the ingredients around. When they are fully blended, add the eggs and blend to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until firm and the edges get slightly crisp. Cool and cut into small cubes or take a spoonful and roll into small balls in your palms. Dust with powdered sugar or sprinkles.Store covered, up to 5 days in the refrigerator.Variations:• Substitute white beans, pintos, or adzuki beans. They can be found in the ethnic aisle of your store. The texture and color may change, but the idea stays the same—a cake made of beans!• Add a tablespoon of orange zest, try different kinds of chopped nuts, or add dried currants after blending for a chunkier texture.* I just realized they do have a little cocoa... I might just skip this